زبان
zabân
language, tongue
nounA1
Quick Reference
za-BÂN
language, tongue
A1 — Absolute Beginner
What it means
زبان (zabân) covers two senses with one word: the tongue as a body organ, and language as a system of speech. From Pahlavi zabān, a pure Persian root.
Context disambiguates. Talking about food or anatomy: tongue. Talking about Farsi, English, or Arabic: language.
How to use it
- زبان فارسی (zabân-e fârsi) “Persian language”
- زبان مادری (zabân-e mâdari) “mother tongue”
- زبانم سوخت (zabânam sukht) “my tongue burned”
- چند تا زبان بلدی؟ (chand tâ zabân baladi?) “How many languages do you know?”
Common pairings
- زبانشناسی (zabân-shenâsi) “linguistics”
- زبانآموز (zabân-âmuz) “language learner”
- دو زبانه (do-zabâne) “bilingual”
- زبان دراز (zabân-derâz) “sharp-tongued (literally: long-tongued)”
Cultural note
Iranian families take زبان مادری seriously. Diaspora parents wrestle with whether their kids will keep فارسی as a real زبان or only a few warm phrases. The phrase زبان دراز, “long-tongued,” is a common rebuke for a child who talks back to elders, where silence is read as respect.
References
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Iranian families take زبان مادری seriously. Diaspora parents wrestle with whether their kids will keep فارسی as a real زبان or only a few warm phrases. The phrase زبان دراز, "long-tongued," is a common rebuke for a child who talks back to elders, where silence is read as respect.Connected Words